Postal



A. IELFIELD.

MAII MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-31,1914. 1 1 98,693, Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I,

|NVENTEIR ATTEIRNEY;

A. 1ELHELD.

MAIL MARKING. MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 3], 1914. 1,193,693, I Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETSSH EET Z- MIN-N51555:.

QFFFEO ill AUGUST IELFIELD, @F SILVER, GREEK, YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 COLUMBIA POSTAL SUPPLY (20., 0F SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MAIL-MARKING MIACHIN'E.

Specification of Letters IPatent.

Patented Aug. 1916.

Application filed March 31,1914. Serial No. 828399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, AUGUs'r IELFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sil ver Creek, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Marking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for marking or canceling mail matter such as letters, postcards, etc, and which may also be used for marking other articles of a like character.

Fhe objects of this invention are to provide a machine for this purpose which is comparatively simple andcompact in construction, which is eflicient in operation and not liable to get out of order and in which all the parts are easy of access for inspection, adjustment or repair.

in the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a top plan view, partly in section, of a machine embodying one form of my iniprovements and designed more particularly to be operated by hand power. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof taken in line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken in line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar section taken in line dd,.Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of a portion of the stop mechanism whereby the rotation of the printing wheel or die head is controlled. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the die head and the pivotal support of the same. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same taken in line 71+? Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the die head and stop mechanism taken in line 88, Fig. 3, but showing the parts in a position difierent from that indicated in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 7

Referring to Figs. 18, 1 represents the table which supports the letters or other mail matter to be operated upon and which is provided at one end with a delivery portion or section Q-upon which the letters 3 to be'canceled are placed side by side with their lower edges resting upon this part of the table, a receiving portion 4, arranged at the other end of the table and adapted to support the letters which have been marked or canceled, and an intermediate portion 5 extending from the delivery to the receiving portions of the table. The inner side of the stack of unmarked letters is adapted to rest partly against a longitudinal guide wall 6 arranged upon the adjacent part of the table and the front edges of these letters are adapted to engage with the transverse wall 7 mounted upon the adjacent part of the table. lFhe inner end of this transversewall and the front end of the longitudinal wall are separated from each other by an intervening space, passageway or throat 8 through which the letters are delivered one at a time from the inner end of the supply stack.

lhe mechanism' whereby the feeding of the letters forwardly from the inner or front sideof the stack is effected may be variously constructed but the means for this purpose which are shown in Figs. 1-8 of the drawings are preferred and constructed as follows: 9 represents a feed Wheel projecting with the inner part of its peripheral portion underneath the front part'of the longitu-.

dinal wall ti and pivotally mounted on the upper end of an upright spindle or arbor 10 which is mounted on the adjacent part of a the table. @n its periphery this feed wheel is provided with a circumferential groove 11 in which is arranged a fiat faced feeding band 12 of rubber or similar friction material. Above and below its feeding band this feeding wheel is provided on its periphery with two segmental guard flanges 13, M which project outwardly or radially beyond the face of the feeding band and which have their ends separated from each other by intervening spaces or gaps 15 so that a portion of the periphery of this feeding wheel is unfianged leaving the adjacent part of the face of the feeding band exposed and pro jecting laterally beyond the periphery of the feeding wheel between the ends of the respective segmental flanges, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It follows from this construction that upon rotating the feeding wheel in the direction of the arrow associated with the same in Fig. 1, that during each rotation of this wheel the exposed face of the feeding bond between the ends of the flanges 13, it will engage with the foremost letter of the stack on the delivery portion in. the table and move the same forwardly from the stack and as the feeding wheel continues its rotation so that its guard flanges engage with the foremost letter of the stack on the delivery part ofthe table, the feeding effect of this wheel will be arrested. By this means this feeding Wheel is caused to operate intermittently as it r0- tates continuously and feed successive letters forwardly from the pile of unmarked letters as the same in turn reach the front or inner end of this pile.

The feeding off of the letters from the stack of unmarked letters is assisted by a feeding belt 16 of rubber or similar material which also operates as part of the mechanism whereby the letters are carried .from the delivery part of the table, past the printing mechanism and to the receiving part of the table where the marked'letters are again stacked or piled. This feedin belt passes forwardly around the rear an inner side of a rear supporting roller or pul ley 17 which is arranged below the feeding wheel and is preferably of the same .diameter and operatively connected therewith and mounted upon the same pivot so that this feeding wheel and delivery wheel turn together. From the delivery wheel the belt passes forward and lengthwise over the table past the printing mechanism, thence around the inner and front side of a front pulley 18 which is arranged adjacent to the receiving portion of the table and mounted to turn upon an upright pivot or pin 19 secured to the adjacent art of the table. From this front pulley t e belt passes laterally outward around a driving pulley 20 and thence inwardly and rearwardly to the rear side of the rear supporting pulley. The driving pulley is secured to an upright shaft 21 which is journaled in a suitable bearing on the adjacent part of the main frame and may beturned by any suitable means, those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 45 consisting of a hand wheel 22 secured to the upper endof the driving shaft 21 and provided with a handle or crank 23 for turning the same. As the feeding belt passes around the rear supporting pulley 50 its face is flush with the face of the feeding band on the feeding wheel so that this belt assists in the feeding of the letters from the stack of unmarked letters whenever that ,part of the feeding band on the unflanged part of the feeding wheel engages with these letters, and when the flanges of the feeding wheel deflect these letters out of engagement from the feeding band they also hold these letters out of enga ement from the adjacent portion of the fee ing belt for arresting the feeding action of the letters from the delivery stack.

The feeding belt may be held taut by any suitable means those shown in the drawings for this purpose comprising a take-up roller 24 bearing against the outerside of the feeding belt between the driving pulley and the rear supporting .pulley and adjustably mounted on the table by means of a supporting. arm 25 which carries the take-up roller and is provided with a longitudinal slot 26 which receives a clamping screw 27 whereby this arm is secured to thetable. More than one letter at a time is prevented from passing forwardly from the delivery stack through the feed throat by means of a separating device which preferably comprises a. forwardly inclined separating blade or finger 28 engaging with the face of the feeding belt immediately in front of the delivery stack, a transversely and horizontally movable slide 29 carrying the separating finger at its inner end and guided upon the front sideof the transverse wall 7 by means of screws 30 mounted on this wall and arranged in slots 31 in the slide and a spring 32 connecting this slide with said transverse wall and operating to move the slide and the separating finger yieldingly toward the adjacent part of the feeding belt. As the letters are fed forwardly from this delivery stack by the feeding wheel and belt the grip of this belt upon the foremost letter causes the 'latter to be moved forwardly past the separating finger which latter yields sufliciently for this purpose, but the second and remaining letters of the delivery stack which are not engaged by the feeding belt are held back by the separatingfinger so that but one letter at a time is permitted to pass forwardly to the printing mechanism. As each letter. issues from the feeding throat and passes forwardly beyond the separator the same is engaged on opposite sides by two upright guide rollers 33, 34 one of which, preferably the roller 33 which is arranged von the left hand side of the path of the let ters is mounted on a fixed pivot-or pin 35 which is secured to the adjacent part of the table while the other roller 34 is arranged on the right. hand side of the letter path and is capable of moving bodily toward and from the companion roller for the purpose of permitting letters of varying thickness to pass forwardly between these rollers. For this purpose the bodily movable roller 34 is preferably mounted by means of a pivot pin 36 on the front end of a horizontally swinging supporting arm 37 which is arranged below the table and pivoted thereto at its rear end by means of a pin 38,

bodily movable roller 34 yieldingly in en gagement with the companion roller 33. The roller 33 is composed of a lower sec tion 41 which engages with the face of the messes two guide rollers 33, 34 are driven by fric tional contact with opposite sides of the feeding belt when no letter is between the same, but when a letter has been fed forwardly between these rollers this letter is engaged on one side by the upper and lower portions or sections of the roller 33 and on its opposite side by the face of'the feeding belt v and the upper enlarged part of the roller 34 at which time the roller 33 is driven by frictional contact with the letter passing forwardly between these rollers and the adjacent part of the feeding belt.

After each letter during its forward movement issues from between the guide rollers 33, 34 the same is operated upon by a printing mechanism which produces a post mark or cancellation thereon. This mechanism, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 is con structed as follows: 43 represents a fixed upright pivot pin, spindle or arbor arranged on the left hand side of the path of letters in front of the guide roller 33 and provided with a reduced upper portion forming an upwardly facing shoulder 44,'-as shown in Fig. 6. Mounted upon this reduced upper part of the spindle 43 and resting on the shoulder 44 thereof is a driving sleeve 45 which is provided at its lower end which rests on the shoulder 44 with an annular driving flange or disk 46 which engages its periphery with the face of the feeding belt adjacent to the lower edge of the latter, as shown in Fig. 3. a

The printing wheel or head forming one member of the printing couple of the printing mechanism comprises a body 47 having a cylindrical opening whereby the same'is mounted upon the periphery of the driving sleeve 45, a lower friction disk 48 secured to the lower end of the body and engaging frictionally with the upper side of the driving disk 46, an upper supporting disk49 secured to the upper end of the body, and type 50 arranged on the periphery of the body and adapted to impress theletter with the name of a post oflice, the date of mailing, canceling lines or other matter. The. driving sleeve and disk are rotated continuously by the feeding belt, and the printingwheel, when free also rm tates in the same direction as the driving sleeve and disk, this movement being imparted to the printing wheel by connecting the same with the driving sleeve. The preferred means for effecting this connection between the printing wheel and the driving sleeve comprises a radially movable friction bar or key 51 guided in a radial guide way or slot 52 formed lengthwise in the body of the printing wheel and opening into the bore thereof, and a spring 53 interposed between the outerside of the friction bar and the outerside of the guideway 52 and operatingto press the friction bar inwardly so that its inner side engages frictionally with the periphery of the driving sleeve. The frictional contact or engagement of this bar 51 with the driving sleeve is suflicient to cause the printing wheel to rotate with the sleeve 45 the instant that the printing wheel is released by a letter controlled stop device. This stop or timing mechanism is preferably constructed as follows: 54 represents a stop leverpivoted to turn horizontally upon a pivot pin 55'mounted on the upperside of the printing wheel on one side of the axis thereof. This stop lever is yieldingly held in its rearmost position by means of a spring 56' connected at one end with the upperside of the printing wheel and at its other end with the stop lever and the extent of this rearward movement is limited'by means of a stop pin or shoulder 57 on the stop lever engaging with a stop pin or shoulder 58 on top of the printing wheel, as shown in F ig.-.8. On one arm of the stop lever the same is provided with a rotary stop shoulder 59 which is preferably constructed in the form of a pin projecting upwardly from this arm,

as shown in Figs; 3 and 5. In the rearmost position of this stop lever its rotary stop shoulder 59 is moved radially outward relatively to the aXis of the printing wheel and into a position in which it engages with a fixed stop 60 which is constructed in the form of a pin depending from the underside.

of a horizontal supporting arm 61. The latter is capable of horizontal adjustment by providing the same with a sleeve or hub which is secured by means of a set screw 62 to the upper end of a post 63 rising from the adjacent part of the table. 'By this means the'fixed stop 60 may be accurately adjusted for arresting the stop lever and the printing wheel connected therewith at the proper time and it also permits of removing the fixed stop from above the printing wheel and associated mechanism to afford more convenient access'to these parts when inspection, adjustment or repairs of the same becomes necessary. On the other arm of the stop lever is pivotally mounted a horizontally swinging trip lever 64 the rear arm of which is provided with a laterally projecting shifting finger 65 which is adapted to project across the letter path and to be engaged by the front edges of successive letters. The trip lever is yieldingly held in this position by means of a spring 66 connecting the front arm of the trip lever with the stop lever, the movement of the trip lever under the action of this spring being limited by means of a stop shoulder 67 formed on the stop lever and adapted to vin Fig. 1, thereby arresting the forward rotation of the printing wheel in a position in which the low receding or blank part of the printing wheel body having no printing type or face is presented to the feeding belt. Whenever a letter issues from between the guide rollers 33, 34 and it strikes the shifting finger the latter will be moved forwardly under the impact of the letter and thereby turn the stop lever inwardly so that the shoulder 59 of the latter will be disengaged from the fixed shoulder 60 on the stop arm, as shown in Fig. '8, thereby liberating the printing wheel and permitting the same to turn with the driving sleeve and disk by the frictional connection between these parts, and'causing the type face of the printing wheel to be brought into engagement with the letter as the same passes forwardly between the printing wheel and the feeding belt and produce a post mark or canceling impression thereon. When the printing wheel after making an impression on a letter has completed one rotation the same is again arrested by the stop lever which latter has in the meantime been again moved into its outward position so that its stop shoulder 59 engages with the fixed shoulder 60 of the stop arm. This arrest of the rotary move- 'ment of the printing wheel after making one complete rotation occurs regardless of whether or not the letter which has ust been canceled has fully cleared the path of the shifting finger. upon has cleared the path of the shifting finger the latter will be carried across the' letter path into its operative position preparatory to being engaged bythe next following letter for again releasing the printing wheel and performing another cycle of canceling or mail marking operations. But if the previous letter has not yet cleared the path of the shifting finger the same will simply press yieldingly against the adjacent face of the letter then passing and cause the trip lever to be shifted backwardly relatively to the stop lever, but the spring 66 will turn the trip lever and move the shifting finger across :the path of the letters the instant the rear end of the previous letter clears the path of the shifting finger.

The inking of the type or design on the printing wheel may be accomplished in any suitable way, for instance by an inking wheel 68 engaging with the face of the type If the letter just operated and mounted upon an arm 69 which is adjustably secured to the adjacent part of the table by a clamping screw 70 passing through a slot 71 in said arm, as shown in Fig. 1.

That part of the feeding belt opposite the printing wheel is yieldingly held in engagement with the periphery of the driving disk and also in position to permit the printing wheel to produce a perfect impression on the letter by engaging the inner or back side of the feeding belt by an impression roller 72 which is transversely in line with the printing wheel, This impression roller is pivotally mounted upon an upright pivot pin 73 which projects downwardly through the transverse slot 7 4 in the adjacent part of the table and is connected at its lower end with the free end of a horizontally swinging supporting arm 7 5. The latter is arranged below the table and pivoted at its front end on the under side thereof by means of a pin 76 and the same is turned in a direction for yieldingly holding the impression roller against the back of the feeding belt by means of a spring 77 connecting the rear movement of these letters is arrested by engagement of their front ends with a transverse abutment wall 80 arranged on the adjacent part of the table. As each letter reaches the receiving part of the table the same is pushed laterally away from the lon-' gitudinal wall 78 so as to clear the path for the next following letter by means of a stacker which preferably comprises two stacker arms or cams 81 mounted on diametrically opposite sides of the upper portion of the front belt pulley and adapted to engage successively with the letters. The stack of letters on the receiving portion of the table is piled up against a follower 82 which is capable of transverse sliding movementbymounting it on a slide 83 movable in the transverse guideway 84 on the adjacent part of the table.

My improved marking or can celing machine is not only simple and compact in construction but the same is also free from any delicate parts which are liable to get out of order. the same is quick in its operation and it insures proper canceling of but one letter at a time without liability of smearing the letter or clogging the machine regardless of the thickness of the letter which is being operated upon.

from the printing p I claim as my invention: 5

1. A mail marking machine comprising a letter feed wheel provided on its periphery with a segmental flange the ends of which are separated by an intervening space or gap, a circular feeding band mounted on the periphery of said wheel and having its outer face of a diameter less than the diameter of said flange and greater than the periphcry of said wheel, a supporting pulley arranged concentric with said Wheel and turning therewith, and a feeding belt passing around said supporting pulley and having its face flush with the face of said feeding band.

2. A mail marking machine comprising a letter feeding belt, and means for guiding the letters comprising two rollers arranged on opposite sides of the path of the letters, one of said rollers having a lower section engaging with the face of said belt and an upper section arranged above said belt and the other roller having a reduced lower part which engages with the back of said belt and an enlarged upper part engaging with the upper section of the other roller above the belt, a fixed pivot on which one of said guide rollers is j ournaled, and a spring pressed arm on which the other of said guide rollers is pivotally mounted.

Witness my hand Mar. 28,1914.

AUGUST IELFIELD.

Witnesses THEO. STEWART,

R. N. ERDLE. 

